New Mental Health Short Stay Unit opens at Caboolture Hospital

Mental Health Short Stay Unit Lounge and dining area

People in the Moreton Bay region now have better access to mental health services closer to home.

An innovative new $5.4 million Mental Health Short Stay Unit is now open at Caboolture Hospital to provide care for people requiring urgent mental health treatment.

The Emergency Department (ED) isn’t always the best place for people experiencing mental health concerns. Patients presenting to the ED with mental illness often require short-term mental health care, including stabilisation and treatment.

The Mental Health Short Stay Unit provides a safe, secure and therapeutic environment for people experiencing an acute episode of mental illness.

It comprises eight bed areas, interview rooms and a range of common areas, including a lounge and dining area and a back patio, giving patients an outdoor space.

The new unit provides a safe environment for observation and treatment of people over 16 years of age and focusses on delivering short-term inpatient care.

It allows more time for assessment and provides short-term treatment and care for people affected by acute mental illness in a safe, low stimulus environment.

The unit is staffed by a multi-disciplinary team, including medical, nursing, allied health professionals and peer support workers, designing interventions and treatment plans to support people’s recovery efforts.

With a focus on ensuring that people can be supported to remain living in their community, the Mental Health Short Stay Unit takes a recovery-oriented approach that involves the patient, their family and carers in the care planning process.